Method of making a radiator

ABSTRACT

A method of making a radiator having a fluid header with a plurality of holes in one of its walls, plate means, comprised of any number of plates, parallel with and abutting against the wall. The plate means also has holes aligned with the holes in the header and tubes extend both through the plate means and through the header wall, the tubes being soldered, brazed or otherwise secured to the header to form a leakproof joint therewith. The wall, the plate means, and the tubes are all soldered, brazed or otherwise bonded or fused together.

Umted States Patent 1 1 1 3,763,536 Young 1 Get. 9, 1973 [5 METHOD OF MAKING A RADIATOR 2,007,000 7/1935 Oakey 29/1573 B 2,184,658 12/1939 Youn 29/1573 B X [75] Inventor Fred 3,489,448 1/1970 Nagar a et a1 29/157312 [73] Assignee: Young Radiator Company, Racine,

Wis. Primary ExaminerRichard J. Herbst Assistant ExaminerD. C. Reiley, III [22] Ffled' Sept 1972 Attorney-James E. Nilles [21] Appl. No.: 289,797

Related US. Application Data [57] ABSTRACT [62] Division of Ser. No. 127,617, March 24, 1972, Pat. A method of making radiam' having a fluid header Nu 3 710 52; with a plurality of holes in one of its walls, plate means, comprised of any number of plates, parallel 52 US. Cl. 29/1573 B, 29/1574, 113/118 B with and abutting against the wall- The Plate means 1511 1m. 01 B2ld 53/02, B23p 15/26 also has holes aligned with the holes in the header and {58] Field of Search 29/1573 R, 157.3 B, tubes extend both through the plate means and 29/1574; 1 5/173 175; 13 113 B through the header wall, the tubes being soldered, brazed or otherwise secured to the header to form a 5 References Cited leakproof joint therewith. The wall, the plate means, UNITED STATES PATENTS and the tubes are all soldered, brazed or otherwise bonded or fused together. 1,895,287 1/1933 Lambert 113/118 B 2,047,207 7/1936 Krackowizer 113/118 B 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 METHOD OF MAKING A RADIATOR This application is a divisional application of the United States application Ser. No. 127,617, filed Mar. 24, 1972 entitled Heat exchanger Header and Core Construction, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,858 on Jan. 16, 1973. I

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Radiators usually have a header attached to the core, the core including a series of tubes which extend into the header. The joints between the tubes and the header are then soldered, brazed or otherwise sealed, and these joints have been notorious for the formation of leaks in the radiator. The solder that is conventionally used to hold the tubes sealed to the header is usually not of sufficient strength, and also the solder becomes weak with age and use, thereby contributing to leakage of the radiator.

An example of the prior art is shown in the US Pat. No. 2,488,627, issued on Nov. 22, 1949 to D. A. Hisey, which patent was assigned to an assignee common with the present application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method for making a radiator in which one of the header walls has plate means parallel with and abutting thereagainst. This plate means may comprise any number of plates and a plurality of precisely formed and accurate aligned holes are formed, as by punching, through the header wall and also through each of the plates, and the wall and plates are then assembled with their holes in alignment. The aligned holes are then broached to form a particularly accurate, smooth and continuous walled construction, thereby preventing the formation of any crevices or spaces between the plates and in which the solder or other sealing element could otherwise flow.

The tubes of the core are then inserted into the aligned and precise holes where they terminate in the header. The header wall, the plate means, and the tubes are all secured together by soldering, brazing, or other means, to result in an integrally formed header, plate means and tube construction.

The juncture, between the header wall and the abutting adjacent plate, is brazed all around the periphery of the juncture. This prevents separation of the wall and plate which would otherwise occur due to bending, prying or leverage action between the parts.

Yet another more specific aspect of the method relates to applying the sealing means to the wall, plate means and tubes by means of dipping the assembled construction in molten solder or the like, 'whereby the solder saturates the unit and makes it essentially of one piece construction.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinafter as this disclosure progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view through a portion of a radiator made by the method of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally along line 22 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the juncture between the header wall and the adjacent plate, which juncture is brazed all around its periphery.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The radiator R shown for purposes of illustrating a radiator formed by the present method includes an enclosed header H comprising a pair of wall members 1 and 2, each having inwardly turned edges 1a and 2a, respectively, which are soldered or otherwise secured together to form an enclosed fluid header. An opening 4 is provided in the header for the passage of fluid. A series of fluid conducting tubes 10 extend into the header for fluid communication therewith. Cooling elements, such as thin fins F are attached to the tubes in the known manner. The tubes form the prime cooling surface and the fins forms the secondary cooling surface.

Plate means PM are providedin parallel and abutting relationship with the wall 1 and this plate means may constitute any number of plates, such as the three plates 5, 6 and 7 shown. The plate means is of substantially greater thickness than the wall 1. The plate means comprises a lamination of accurately formed individual plates which reinforces the wall I and provides exceptional strength to the header. A plurality of holes 8 are accurately formed, by a punching operation, in the individual plates. A plurality of holes 9 are also accurately formed by punching in the header wall 1. The accurately formed and aligned holes 8 and 9 accurately receive and hold the tubes 10.

In this manner, the holes are formed separately in the header wall 1 and in the plates 5, 6 and 7, and then the wall and plates assembled together. The wall and plates are held together as by rivets 11 and the aligned holes are then broached, thereby forming finished holes which are not only accurate and precisely aligned, but are also of smooth walled construction, and with no crevices between the plates. This has the distinct advantage of preventing the solder or other securing means from escaping between the plates and thereby contributing to a weak or imperfect joint between the tubes and the header.

It will be noted that the juncture 12 between the header wall 1 and the adjacent, abutting plate 5 is brazed around its entire periphery as at 13. This brazing is in the form of a fine bead. The brazing acts to prevent separation and leakage in this juncture which otherwise occurred due to the relative twisting between the header and plates. This twisting occurs due to the leverage action of the header, and the rather heavy parts, such as the tank T, to which it is attached on the relatively fragile core. This brazing between the header and adjacent wall has also prevented separation between the remaining plates 5, 6 and 7 but brazing may also be employed between the individual plates.

The joint between the tubes and the header wall and plates may be sealed by soldering, brazing, or by other securing means. I have found it particularly advantageous to dip the assembled wall 1, plate means, and appropriate portions of the tubes in molten solder which results in a one piece construction.

The present invention provides a method of making a radiator having a header inner wall, parallel plate means abutting against the inner wall, precisely aligned holes in the wall and plate means, fluid tubes extending through the holes and in communication with the interior of the header and means sealingly securing the parts together. The radiator made by the present method is particularly strong and rigid in an area where it has heretofore been relatively weak and troublesome, particularly in large heat exchangers subjected to particularly rough treatment, such as in off-the-road earthworking equipment.

I claim:

1. The method of making a radiator of the type having a header wall, a plurality of plates abutting said wall, and tubes extending through said wall and plates, the steps comprising, punching holes in said wall and in said plates, assembling said plates and wall tightly together with their holes in alignment, broaching said aligned holes to form smooth walled holes, inserting tubes through said aligned and broached holes, and dipping said header, said plates and at least a portion of said tubes in molten solder to thereby secure them together as a rigid unit.

2. The method of making a radiator of the type having a header wall, plate means abutting said wall, said tubes extending through said wall and plate means, the steps comprising, forming holes through said wall, forming holes through said plate means, assembling said wall and plate means tightly together with their holes in alignment, broaching said aligned holes for form smooth walled holes, inserting tubes through said aligned and broached holes, securing said tubes in said holes, and dipping said header, plate means and at least a portion of said tubes in molten solder to thereby bond them together as an integral unit.

3. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein said securing is accomplished by sweat soldering. 

1. The method of making a radiator of the type having a header wall, a plurality of plates abutting said wall, and tubes extending through said wall and plates, the steps comprising, punching holes in said wall and in said plates, assembling said plates and wall tightly together with their holes in alignment, broaching said aligned holes to form smooth walled holes, inserting tubes through said aligned and broached holes, and dipping said header, said plates and at least a portion of said tubes in molten solder to thereby secure them together as a rigid unit.
 2. The method of making a radiator of the type having a header wall, plate means abutting said wall, said tubes extending through said wall and plate means, the steps comprising, forming holes through said wall, forming holes through said plate means, assembling said wall and plate means tightly together with their holes in alignment, broaching said aligned holes for form smooth walled holes, inserting tubes through said aligned and broached holes, securing said tubes in said holes, and dipping said header, plate means and at least a portion of said tubes in molten solder to thereby bond them together as an integral unit.
 3. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein said securing is accomplished by sweat soldering. 